The social network is paying independent artists as much as $24,000 per video.

The online-video landscape is turning into something of a bidding war, with platforms trying to convince media companies and celebrities to use their services, andFacebook in particular seems to be willing to come up with cold, hard cash in order to get the content it wants on Facebook Live.We already know that the giant social network is paying media outlets such as the New York Times and BuzzFeed millions of dollars each in order to produce a certain number of videos per month for its live-streaming service. BuzzFeed alone is getting $3 million, according to documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal.But Facebook FB -1.07% also appears to be targeting up-and-coming independent video artists, the kind that more typically show up on YouTube or Twitter’s Vine platform, and it is paying them substantial sums.For example, the Journal says it has seen documents that show Facebook is paying Vine star John Paul Piques$119,000 to post at least five videos on its live-streaming service over the next two months. That’s the equivalent of $24,000 per video. And he is just one of about two dozen other Internet celebrities and video stars who have signed similar deals.

The newspaper says the highest-paid independent video performer appears to be Ray William Johnson, who developed a following for a YouTube show called “The Equals Three Show,” in which he makes fun of viral videos. He could make as much as $224,000 over the next six months.

SOUND FAMILIAR...Always trying to bite off the next man. Steem did it first. Remember That!!